Academy Award winners: 1940-1949

In the second decade of the Golden Age of Cinema “Rebecca” directed by Alfred Hitchcock won the Oscar for the best movie in 1940. In 1941, “How green was my valley” won the Academy Award for best movie, Mrs. Miniver won the Oscar award for best movie in 1942, “Casablanca” was the winner for 1943. “Going My Way” in 1944, The Lost Weekend in 1945, The Best Years of Our Lives in 1946, Gentleman’s Agreement in 1947 were declared the best movies. Hamlet was the winner of Oscar award for best movie in 1948. “All the King’s Men” Won the Academy award for best movie in 1949.

At the start of the decade Director John Ford won 2 Oscars awards for best director back to back in 1940 & 1941 for the movie Grapes of Wrath and “how green was my valley”. William Wyler won the Academy award for best director in 1942 whereas it was won by Michael Curtiz in 1943 for directing Casablanca. Leo McCarey won the best director Academy award in 1944 for directing Going My Way. Director Billy Wilder won his first Oscar in 1945 for the lost weekend. 1946 William Wyler won the Academy award for best director. In 1947 Elia Kazan won the award for his direction of Gentleman’s Agreement. John Huston won his first and only Oscar award for the direction of “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” in 1948. The last award of the decade went to Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

James Stewart was the recipient of the Oscar award for the best Actor in 1940 for his performance in the “Philadelphia Story”, Gary Cooper won the Oscar for his role as Alvin C. York in the Movie Sergeant York. The next year James Cagney won his Oscar award for his role as George M. Cohen in the American Classic Yankee Doodle Dandy. Paul Lukas won it in 1943 much to a surprise of a lot of people considering it was up against Humphrey Bogart for his role in Casablanca. Bing Crosby won the best actor Oscar award as father chuck O’Malley in 1944. In 1945 Ray Milland won the Academy award for best Actor. Fredic March won the Oscar award for best actor in 1946 followed by Ronald Colman in 1947. Laurence Oliver won his only Oscar from 10 nominations in 1948 for his role in Hamlet. Broderick Crawford won it in 1949 for his role in “All the King’s Men”.

The Academy Award for the Best female actress in a leading role in the 13th Oscars went to Ginger Rogers for her titular role as Kitty Foyle. Joan Fontaine won the Oscar in 1941 for her role in suspicion. Greer Garson won in 1942, whereas the Oscar award for best actress went to Jennifer Jones in 1943. Ingrid Bergman won for her role in Gaslight in 44 and the Academy award for best Actress went to Joan Crawford in 1945. Olivia de Havilland won an Oscar for best Actress in 1946 and also in 1949 for her role in the Heiress. Loretta Young won an Oscar in 1947 in the farmer’s Daughter & Jane Wyman won it in 1948 for her role in Johnny Belinda.